Givi 214DT Windshield Safe on 2009 Silverwing?

First topic message reminder :

I just ordered/received a Givi D214DT windshield (higher than stock) for my 2009 Silverwing. It looks great and looks like it will be an easy install. However, there is a sticker on the windshield saying to not exceed 100km/hr (62 mph). Huh??? Is this windshield only good at low speeds? Does anyone have experience with this windshield at highway speeds? Here in AZ, Hwy 10 speed limit is 75 and many people are going 85 and faster... Am interested in a higher windshield, but not in developing windshield problems at that speed. Givi says the warning is required by lawyers but the windshield is safe (they say it, they don't put it in writing...). Any feedback will be appreciated!

Tagg wrote:

Just to play the devils advocate here. How often do you really ride at night, in the driving rain, in traffic, with a mucked up road grimed windshield?

When I have to. As I spend most of my time on the road on two wheels these days, you have to accept what the conditions throw at you.

I just took my Givi 214D off and put the stock windshield back on. We have been have very gusty winds in the heart of America and I was having problems being blown all over the road.

I have been riding for over 30 years. I thought it was the Wing with all the bodywork acting as a sail. I put the factory windshield on and those problems went away. It is MUCH safer to ride. It is more noisy.

The Givi is too big and the stock is to short. Now I am on a quest for the perfect wind screen!

C-Wing

C-Wing wrote:

I just took my Givi 214D off and put the stock windshield back on. We have been have very gusty winds in the heart of America and I was having problems being blown all over the road.

Would the Givi Airflow ( AF214 ) ... or Vetter snap vents ( https://www.silverwing600.com/t1737-modding-the-givi-shield#14543 ) handle the winds better

honda_silver wrote:

... Vetter snap vents...

I just ordered a pair of snap vents. I'll let you know how hey work after I try them. On the Burgman site people had varying success - I suspect placement is important.

http://www.craigvetter.com/pages/Online_Store/Replacement_Parts/Details.html#Anchor-Original-46384

Hmmm......Other options: http://www.ultralightnews.ca/airvents_uslk/

Well, I already ordered the $30 Vetter so will stay with that just to get er done.

C-Wing wrote:

I just took my Givi 214D off and put the stock windshield back on. We have been have very gusty winds in the heart of America and I was having problems being blown all over the road.

I have been riding for over 30 years. I thought it was the Wing with all the bodywork acting as a sail. I put the factory windshield on and those problems went away. It is MUCH safer to ride. It is more noisy.

The Givi is too big and the stock is to short. Now I am on a quest for the perfect wind screen!

C-Wing

I had the same problems with being pushed/pulled with the old style GIVI screen. I cut the top 2" off and lost the pressure pushing the back of my head, but still got knocked around. Looking for a little more breeze for the summer last year, I put the stock screen on and my problems went away. To cure the shortness of the screen I added a Laminar Lip. For me (6'0" tall with AirHawk cushion) it works better than the GIVI. It is also rather quiet.

I did use the GIVI for the winter, but I cut the hand guards off. Hands were chillier, but I had fewer handling problems than I remembered having before I took it off.

You might be able to create your own LL by cutting an old windscreen. My LL has about a half inch of overlap with the stock screen. I use it on my cut down GIVI, and less than an inch sticks out higher than the GIVI.

I bought a small universal LL.

I have had most of the screens and the Givi Airflow is by far my favorite. It handles great in wind and turbulance. You may want to think about it even though it is a bit over $200. It doesn't act as an airfoil or sail at all.

Huh, well I just rode my swing with the GIVI 214DT from El Paso, TX to Cathedral City, CA and back often in high winds at speeds of about 90 mph much of the way. Was I just lucky that I had no problem? I dunno... I am kinda solid at 6' 0" and 235 llbs so maybe that helped.

I installed the Vetter vents in the Givi 214DT windshield in the hopes of reducing vacuum behind the windshield and therefore stopping the buffeting I get at 50+ mph. I don't mind my jacket flapping but the helmet vibration has to stop or I fear I will get punch drunk.

So... I posted pictures in my personal album here.
https://www.silverwing600.com/gallery/Personal-album-of-Ishkatan/Personal-album-of-Ishkatan-cat_u961.htm

Doing the install I used a level to try to get the hole centers on a horizontal line, but I may be off 1/4 of an inch. I am not quite sure why since I had it on the center stand. I should have measured twice, instead of not at all, but like a kid in a candy store it had to happen "now!"... I drilled part way from one side of the windshield, then finished the hole from the other side. The cutouts had some burs so this is a really good/lucky idea. Sanding rounded the edges to reduce chipping. The job is messy but at least some of the sins wash away.

The 3 1/4 inch saw bit looked too small for the vents but the vents actually fit right in and I may have sanded too much in the left hole - the vent closed itself partly at high speed.

The Vetter vents install either "Noramlly" or in "Reverse" and are easy to pop out - when you are parked and using both hands. To open you push them straight out, or you can let a little tab at the "top" catch and have them open at an angle or "swivel" mode. In "swivel" position the trailing lip sticks out on the inside of the windshield and might affect air flow. I am still not sure. They can be adjusted to some degree while moving but it's like anything else distracting - a bad idea. At most only open or close in a known position. They can also be removed easily - just squeeze.

The Vetters vents are flat while the windshield is curved, the result is there is space / cracks at the edges. Washing the front I had a LOT of water come through at the curve edges. They will NOT be water tight and could be a problem in a heavy rain, but then I should not be riding in heavy rain (in theory).

I took the bike for a test ride on a hot day and my conclusion is that it helps a little but not quite enough. Sigh.

In "Normal" position one of the vents would collapse a bit when open at 70-75 on the speedometer (it lies by 5 mph). When closed the buffeting is the same as normal. When open the buffeting is still there until I lean forward. I find a pocket of reduced turbulence a few inches further back from the windshield than when the vents are closed.

Trying the Vetter vents in "reversed" mode with the opening pointing up the turbulance free pocket gets a little bigger but I still have to lean forward to get into it. I also get more air coming up under my chin. This mode seems to work somewhat better than "normal" mode but when I close the vents the back sticks out of the windshield and I wonder what cross winds will do.

So, I removed the vents. Going down the highway at 70-75 I get two hard jets of air beating my chest. It feels like I am leaning on two 3 1/4" cool posts. Nice on a really hot day but gets cool when the sun goes down. The pocket of reduced turbulence also seems to increase a little and bike stability seems better. I was actually enjoying going down I-70 at 70-75 and even pushed above 80 on the speedo, for a short bit. The vents need to to be wrapped when put away or the bike sounds rattly in parking lots. I think I will use this on really hot days when there are not a lot of bugs but keep the vents handy and insert them when evening falls.

I will of course be experimenting with vent position and orientation - normal with opening down or reversed with opening up seems right but I will try other positions. I suspect that when the weather gets cold I will mostly run the vents in reverse position blowing up - that seems to give me some help on the highway but reduces direct wind on me. And I have all summer to grow my beard longer.

I afree with JeffR.After I read in this forum about Givi Airflow.I did order and I just install on last week,take long drive and go to work and I realy like this windshield,look good and did good job.

If I were buying new I would buy the Givi Airflow, not the 214DT, despite the cost difference.

I rode the bike to work today, 60-75 mph on the I-270 stretch, and the ride was "acceptable". The hot air (80+ degrees) seems to also help reduce turbulence and I had the Vetter vents removed from the 214DT. I did duck a little and leaned forward at the top end, but it was almost nice going down the highway at 60-65.

Oh, dropping the helmet face shield all the way down also helps - a lot.

I can't tell from the pics, but does the Airflow have any hand protection?
Considering an Airflow.

Bob

bob wells wrote:

I can't tell from the pics, but does the Airflow have any hand protection?
Considering an Airflow.

Yes, not as much as the 214 DT, but lots more than the stock Honda windscreen.

Just a quick update - I've been riding with the Vetter vents in the reverse position for over a month. I get the least buffeting with them in this position and turned so the air comes up at a 40 degree angle.

Up to 50 mph I can ride with my face shield up. ON the highway I am fine to 70 with the face shield down. When I get up to 80 I need to duck forward a bit more.

I am also getting used to riding and the buffeting, but the calm air sweet spot is definitely bigger with the Vetter vents in this position. Removing them results in two columns of air hitting me in the chest - nice on 100 degree days - but more helmet turbulence. Having them on "correctly" is better for rain but again the sweet spot is smaller.

If buying a new windshield I would go with the Airflow. For now this is an adequate fix for the DT214.

I've since changed my mind about the 214DT. I ran into one of those dust devils you see so often in Arizona. I had no way to avoid it as I was approaching it at about 90 mph and there was a semi in the other lane. Next thing I knew I was flying off into the median praying I wouldn't literally bite the dust! The wind picked me up and flung me about 30 feet to the left in an instant! Fortunately I was on one of those long sections of flat as a pancake median. The road, however was about 2 feet higher than the median and dropped off sharply. I had the presence of mind to realize that if I came to a complete stop I'd have trouble getting back up onto the road. So I slowed to about 60 and lept back up onto the road. The trucker was still there and looked at me like I was insane.

That was it for me. I bought a medium sized Clearview with vent the next day. I would like to add though that the 214DT would be fine back where I'm used to riding - Vermont. No dust devils there and the larger shield would be ideal for helping you to extend your riding season in the colder weather. I have long used a similar product from GIVI the 105 model on my SYM HD200 and it worked quite well for that there. I never had an issue with wind in Vermont although you certainly do get strong gusts there, but they don't commonly swirl like a mini tornado.

One thing about the big Givi, be sure to get the intallation kit which comes with two metal reinforcements and some screws and rubber pieces. The windshield will feel much more solidly mounted with those parts and quite loosely fitting without.

Mine was pretty whippy at high speed until I put the reinforcements on it. Now it's very solidly mounted no movement at well over 90mph. I had the adjustable Givi on a previous SW but really didn't like it much. For one thing it causes back-wind pressure on the back of your head at speed. I don't get that with the tall Givi. The taller one does have a good shape to keep most of the wind off you hands too.

I've had a Givi airflow for a couple of years now, for me it gives much less buffeting than the standard windscreen and I have found by experimenting with the height that it doesn't actually need to be mounted very high at all. For me at 6' 2'' it's way better than the standard windscreen.

I've been putting up with this vacuum effect of the 214DT for a while now and I'm glad the topic has come up because I don't know whether to put up with it or to change the screen, but with what?

I've just done a 600 mile round trip (with night stops) and it was quite windy and pouring with rain, even stormy on some parts of the journey. I find the vacuum effect form the 214 really irritating but it only lasts for short periods. As we have a lot of windy (not windy), roads here in the UK your angle of attack to the wind direction constantly changes and I've found that quite significant.

The 214DT has also forced me to sit very upright so that I can see well over the screen. With the stock screen I think I must have been 'slouching' while riding. I might have been imagining it but I also thought the 214 kept a lot of rain off of my visor.

Horses for courses.....I don't know if the 214 annoys me enough to want to change it.

BTW. It is essential to use the kit which comes with the screen Those metal brackets make a big contribution to the screen's integrity, they weren't included for nothing.

Some vendors don't include the reinforcement pieces with the windshield and charge extra for them. However one buys on GET THE INSTALLATION/REINFOCEMENT KIT if you don'w want a windshield that flexes in the breezes.

Those two reinforcement brackets come in the box along with Givi screen, they did with my Airflow. If memory serves some members felt installing them wasn't necessary and their screen was solid and flex free without them.

It's likely that they lined them up and where a hole should have been there wasn't, and you have to drill or pierce the plastic to get at the captured nuts embedded there.

JeffR's Airflow Installation video explains it all and it shouldn't be any different for the 214DT.

Ditto Meldrew, I'd forgotten that I had to do that when I put my 214 screen onto the bike. The bit of extra drilling is no big deal to do and it's worth it.

I installed the air flow on saturdy, drilling the holes took less than 5 minutes for both sides, I just installed the brackets with 2 screws to use as a template, dilled the holes, then installed the windscreen. No biggie.

Air Flow is a great shield. Very little noise or back pressure pushing on the head. Top part seems to be a softer type plastic scratches very easily use care cleaning it. Locks can get a little loose with use, minor adjustments may be required FYI.

Racer83L how is that new bike working for you.?

With so many posting the advantage of the Givi Airflow, I will have to concede that if you are looking for a replacement for the stock screen, and if you are willing to spend the extra money, it's probably advisable to buy the adjustable. As far as the safety of the 214 DT, as relates to the title of this post, I can say that my only concern is riding the 214 in the rain. Visibility is reduced when you are looking through a dripping screen, and sometimes simultaneously looking through your face shield. I am not tall enough to peer over the top of the screen unless I stretch my posture uncomfortably high enough. Some taller folks may not have this problem. The suggestion to cut off the top 2 inches is probably advisable. I haven't done the cutting yet to my 214, but riding in the rain seems to me to be the only safety problem I have with the stock 214.

As far as advantages of the 214, It is a great improvement over the stock screen. I can ride deeper into cold with this screen, and even my hands stay warmer with the wider base of the screen. Also, helmet noise is considerably reduced. I was changing to the stock screen for the summer and popping on the 214 in the winter, but I think I will keep the 214 on all year round; I rarely ride in 92+ degree weather when the 214 would not be as cool, but I really enjoy piercing some colder temps with that big screen. That big screen and the stock SWing fairing make for a comfortable winter ride and one of the few two-wheeler nuts on the road. (or two-nut wheelers)

I haven't had any problem with the 214 on the two SWs I've had that were equipped with them. I shortened the first on about an inch and a half so as to be able to see over it with a bit of a stretch. I've ridden in some pretty strong winds on the coast with it with no difficulty as well as in the rain. To me it's big improvement over the OEM. The wind deflectors on the bottom of the 214 sure make cold weather easier on the hands too. I've ridden in some pretty strong winds in the mountains around here with no problem but not experienced any dust devils with it though. All in all well worth installing.